Posts Tagged ‘Cummins legal violations’

Cummins Inc., a diesel engine company based in Columbus, Indiana, with$14 billion in annual sales will pay a $2.1 million penalty and recall 405 engines under a settlement agreement resolving violations of the Clean Air Act.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department made the announcement, as the automotive world’s attention was fixated on Toyota safety matters.

The Cummins settlement, recorded in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, is subject to a 30-day public comment period.

According to a complaint filed simultaneously with the settlement in the federal court, between 1998 and 2006, Cummins shipped more than 570,000 heavy-duty diesel engines to vehicle equipment manufacturers nationwide without pollution control equipment included. This is a clear violation of the Clean Air Act.

ATDs include catalytic converters and diesel particulate filters.

“Reliable and effective pollution control systems are essential to protect human health and the environment from harmful engine emissions,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.

“These requirements are a critical part of EPA’s program to reduce air pollution and secure clean air so that all Americans can breathe easier.”

Engine makers must prove through testing that their engine designs meet EPA’s emissions standards and seek certificates of conformity.

According to the complaint, Cummins tested the engines with the ATDs to meet the standards, but failed to include the ATDs with the engines when Cummins shipped the engines to the vehicle manufacturers. (more…)